Life cycle assessment and comparison of the conventional and third generation of photovoltaic panels

Abstract

Photovoltaic modules face significant performance loss due to the reflection of solar radiation and dust accumulation on the PV glass cover. Micro- and nanoscale texturing of the PV panel glass cover is an effective means of reducing solar radiation reflection and providing surface hydrophobicity to reduce dust accumulation and ease cleaning. Considering multiscale surface texturing of PV panel glass cover, represented generically as fractal surfaces, the study comprehensively investigates the effect of texturing on the module’s environmental effects and characteristics. In this paper, utilizing the LCA method and SimaPro software, a comparative analysis has been done between conventional solar panels and fractal glass texture panels. In addition, a sensitivity analysis has been performed on the fractal feature of the panel and its role in environmental impacts and damages. The results show that this new technology can lead to the reduction of environmental impacts in different categories.